This morning was the ceremonial start for the 47th Iditarod here in Anchorage. The real start will be tomorrow north of here for the over 1000 mile trek to Nome. For the ceremonial start, snow is hauled on to the center of some downtown streets to make a berm-outlined path down the roped-off streets. There are many official-type people & certain photographers allowed inside the ropes, but the thousands of observers crowd the ropes and any surrounding buildings and parking decks as one after by one the over 50 teams are announced and set off across town. Below are some of the photos I took this morning. It was about 20 degrees but getting warmer when I got there.

I won’t be going to Nome to see the end of the cross-Alaska Iditarod, but I will be there to watch and photograph birds from late May to early June.